Renfrewshire families to protest over toppled gravestones

Families with loves ones buried in cemeteries across Renfrewshire say they're heartbroken to see gravestones being left flattened on the ground.

They're protesting outside the council's headquarters in Paisley this morning with full size cardboard headstones.

Des Barr from Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery told Clyde 1: "The memorial safety inspections by the council should involve very few headstones being left lying flat.

"The average age of these can range from 120 years to anything from the last 15 years."

Demonstrators claim gravestones which are left lying flat could cause trip hazards as well as looking unsightly.

Des added: "There is never any advanced notification of these works taking place and on the whole families are devastated.

"The majority of these graves are no more than 20 years old and our concern is that staff are being overzealous.

"Families should be written to by the council before gravestones are targeted."

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "We have a duty of care for safety within our cemeteries and our fully qualified staff have been assessing headstones and carefully lying flat unsafe headstones headstones in line with Scottish Government guidance issued following the tragic death of a child in a Scottish cemetery.

“We understand how emotive it is for families when a headstone has to be laid flat and this is only ever done when it poses a significant risk to safety due to movement or insufficient fixings.

"Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to reach lair owners before work is carried out and marker notices are placed on memorials and headstones with details for how lair holders can contact the Council to ensure their memorial meets the required safety standards.

"There is also signage at each cemetery with the same."

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